Towel-ironing machine



Oct. 22, 1929. R. PRESHER TOWEL IRONING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1928 INVENTOR. A /W MO/Yfl @9716. BY M Z ATTORNEY Patented fist. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES TOWEL COMPANY, OF

PATENT OFFICE OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA TOWEL-IRONING MACHINE Application filed July 23,

The invention forming the subject matter of this application relates to improved means for feeding roller cabinet towels into an ironing machine. Any sheet of material cut in long strips in the shape of roller cabinet towels, or the like, is subject to doubling and wrinkling when the same is passed into an ironing machine. It presents great diflioulty to straighten out towels, or the like, so as to prevent the ironing of the wrinkles thereinto. This difiiculty presents itself more particularly in connection with roller cabinet towels after the same are folded into bundles for facilitating the handling thereof in the washing and wringing operations. When the towels are wet, the folds thereof adhere to each other and have a tendency to pass into the ironing machine in the folded position.

The object of the present invention is the provision of feeding means bywhich the roller cabinet towels, or the like, are passed into ironing machine thru a plurality of guides and are vibrated in such a manner that the folds thereof separate and unfold by their own gravity, and by which means the towel is stretched between the guides in such a manner as to positivey prevent the forming of wrinkles thereon while fed into the ironing machine.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be under stood that in and by the claims following this description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the towel feeding mechanism showing a somewhat diagrammatic outline of the ironing machine; and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the feeding mechanism as related to the ironing machine.

In carrying out my invention, the towels are usually folded in bundles to facilitate the handling thereof in the washing and wringing machines. After washing and wringing, the bundles are untied. The unfastened bundles, denoted by the numeral 6, are disposed 1928. Serial No. 294,827.

in containers 7 which are open on the top and are substantially equal to the width of the towel.

The actual feeding of the towel 6 into an ironing machine, denoted by the numeral 8,

is accomplished by a conveyor belt 9, which carries the towel into the ironing machine, on account of the friction between the wet towel and the conveyor belt. As shown in Figure 1, a guide strip 11 is secured across the whole width of the ironing machine above the belt 9, bearing upon the upper surfaceof the towel so as to effect the smooth feeding of the towel upon the conveyor. In

order to offer a certain amount of resistance;

tact with the lower surface of the towel 6..

Now, when the towel 6 is to be fed into the ironing machine 8, the end thereof is brought over the guide member 12 and below the guide strip 11 and placed smoothly upon the conveyor 9. conveyor 9 will carry the end of the towel into the ironing machine 8, the towel being slightly stretched on account of its position upon the guide member 12 and below the guide strip 11.

In many instances, it wasfound that the adjacent folds of the towel adhere to each other and in spite of the stretching tendency of the guide member and the guide strip, these folds pass over and below the respective guides, thereby allowing theforming of a wrinkle which, carried by the conveyor 9 into the machine, is ironed into the towel.

In order to positively prevent the forming of the wrinkles and to completely separate the folds of the towel from each other, I make use of a rotary beating or towel vibrating mechanism, denoted by the numeral 13. The rotary mechanism 13 comprises a shaft 14, rotatably secured in bearing brackets 15 which extend from the ironing machine 8. Upon the shaft 14 are fixedly secured the towel vibrating or beating blades 16, extending diametrically opposite each other. The

outer ends of the blades 16 are rounded so The advancement of the as to obviate the possibility of injury to the towel. Upon an end of the shaft 14, outside of a bracket member 15, is a pulley 17 to which rotation is transmitted by means of a belt 18 from the driving mechanism of the iron ing machine.

It is to be noted that the shaft 14 is necessarily rotated at a comparatively high rate of speed so as to conform to the rapid passing of the towel into the ironing machine 8. When the end of the towelis carried over the guide member 12 and below the guide strip 11 and is fed by the conveyor 9 into the ironing machine 8, the same, while passing from the container 7, is passed above the rotating mechanism 13, the blades 16 of which are rotated at a rapid rate of speed. hen the blades 16 are rotated into a horizontal position, the same move the towel slightly away from the bearing members 15; then, turning toward the frame of the machine, they allow the towel to drop back to its original position. The rotating mechanism 13 is rotated in a contra-clockwise direction, viewing Figure 1, and it tends to slightly stretch the towel and to beat the folds or wrinkles of the towel downwardly.

The shaking or vibration of the portion of the towel below the blades 16 causes the separating of the folds of the damp towel, because every time when oneof the blades 16 strikes the surface of the towel 6, it produces a beating or whipping effect, and the towel is shaken with sufficient force to separate the folds from each other and prevent the formation of wrinkles. The smooth feeding of the unfolded towel is then accomplished by the coaction of the guide member 12 and the guide strip 11 with the conveyor belt 9.

Usually, the ironing machine is of such size that a plurality of towels may be simultaneously ironed therein. Therefore, as shown in the plan view, the feeding mechanism extends across the full width of the ironing machine 8 so as to vibrate and unfold all the towels fed into the ironing machine. As shown in Figure 2, there are four containers 7 from which four bundles of towel 6 are fed into the ironing machine simultaneously, but it is to be understood that in order to adapt the ironing machine for use in connection with a larger number of towels, it is merely necessary to increase the width thereof.

It will be recognized that the beating and the shaking of the towels before the same reach the top of the guide member 12 efliciently unfolds the towel and prevents the adhering of the damp folds thereof to each other, and the forming of wrinkles thereon. The speed of the rotating beating mechanism 13 may be readily determined by a transmission mechanism connecting the same to the driving mechanism of the ironing machine.

I claim: 1. Means for feeding damp toweling to an ironing machine having a plurality of guides lying on opposite sides ofthe toweling, a conveyer for conveying the toweling to the ironing mechanism from below the guides and a vibrator intermediate the container and the guides.

52. Means for feeding damp toweling to the ironing mechanism of an ironing machine over an angular guide positioned on the frame of the ironing machine and from be low the guide and means for imparting a vibratory movement to the toweling intermediate the guide and the container.

3. Means for feeding toweling in a dampene'd condition to an ironing machine having guides positioned on the upper portion thereof from a point therebelow and vibrating blades journaled in the frame of the machine for contacting with the dampened toweling in advance of its passage over the guides.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RAYMOND PRESHER. 

